


This Wasn't Meant for Two

by WynterRobin



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Multi, Reader-Insert, batfamily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-11-01 05:19:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10915131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WynterRobin/pseuds/WynterRobin
Summary: Written for this prompt: AU where everyone has their soulmate’s name written on their wrist. Alive soulmate name is written in black ink, while a dead soulmate’s name is written in red ink. Person A has Person B’s name on their wrist, but Person B doesn’t have theirs. Person B thinks Person A will have theirs, sooner or later. But one day Person A meets and falls in love with Person C, and both of them have their name written on each other’s wrists. Person B is heartbroken and leaves. One day, Person A’s name is written on Person B’s wrist, below Person C’s name. In red ink.





	This Wasn't Meant for Two

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for a prompt on my tumblr wynterrobin. Follow me there for quicker updates!

Growing up on the streets of Gotham was by far the most difficult thing you had done, and that included fighting some of the world’s most notorious villains. The years had blurred together in your memories; long cold nights and hunger and pain, broken only by the changing of seasons. Those years had shaped you, molded you into the person you were today. You were tough, ruthless. You’d had to be to survive. But even so, one thing was certain: If it weren’t for Jason you wouldn’t have stood a chance. 

Jason was your best friend, but he was also so much more than that. He had been with you through thick and thin. When everyone else turned their backs, you’d still had each other. So when Batman had taken in Jason, it only made sense that he took you in too. Jason had refused to leave you behind. Bruce didn’t seem to mind; it wasn’t like he didn’t have the room or the means to provide for you both. And Jason was always more settled when you were around. It was a win-win for everyone. 

Jason’s soulmark appeared first, on his fifteenth birthday. Nobody was surprised that it was your name on his wrist. But growing up the way you had had taught you an important lesson: Never take anything for granted. Jason didn’t know for sure yet if his name would be on your wrist too, but for the first time in months he was hopeful. You carried on like nothing had changed, even though you both knew that after this nothing would ever be the same.

 You slept back to back like you’d always done (on the streets it had kept you both alive), you trained together, ate together, laughed together. You tried your best to ignore the ever present tension that was growing steadily between you. Your best friend was in love with you. You knew each other well enough that he didn’t have to say anything, you just knew. And you were sure you felt the same way. Jason was all you had ever known, he was your everything. He was the only thing that mattered in this cold, cruel world you lived in. 

The night before your birthday was the longest of your life. It was also the first time for as long as you could remember that you didn’t sleep with your back against his. Instead, you fell asleep side by side, hands entwined between you under the covers. When you checked your wrist the next morning your world promptly fell apart. Written in clear black cursive across your skin were two words: _“Richard Grayson”_

You convinced yourself that it didn’t matter. And for awhile, that was true. You loved Jason, you were happy, and you were determined that a scribble on your wrist wasn’t going to mess that up for you. Life had been unkind to you enough already. Jason was unconvinced, but he was also in love with you. He wasn’t about to turn you down.

Everything was fine for a few months. The situation wasn’t ideal, but you were determined to make it work. And then Nightwing decided to drop in to visit. You had seen each other in passing before, out in the streets, or down with Bruce in the Batcave. But it had always been Jason who interacted with Dick, once he’d taken up the mantel of Robin. 

You had walked into the kitchen that morning, still dressed in your pajamas and exhausted from patrol the night before. Dick was sitting at the table, eating breakfast and chatting happily to Alfred. He looked up when you walked in. Your eyes met, and time seemed to stop. The world seemed to shift on it’s axis. In that moment Dick’s existence rooted itself deep in your soul, and you knew that after this, you could never be happy with Jason. 

To your credit, you tried. Tried to ignore it, to ignore the way your heart leaped in your chest whenever you saw Nightwing out in the city, the way your chest felt both hollow and yet filled with yearning when you closed your eyes at night, hand clasped in Jason’s. 

Dick respected your decision, but it was hard on both of you. He started spending more time at the manor, making up blatantly transparent excuses for being there, not that you minded. You hated yourself for it, but being around him made you feel at peace, content with the world like you had never been before. Around Dick, the world was just better, brighter. And yet your tentative friendship lacked the closeness and stability that made you feel safe around Jason.

~~~~~

It was one night that changed everything. You were out on patrol, Bruce had sent you to investigate a reported disturbance by the docks. He and Jason were tied up in a scuffle in Crime Alley, Nightwing was supposed to meet you there. It was a big display of trust from the Bat that he’d allowed you to go on your own, and you were determined not to let him down. 

You arrived at the scene to see Nightwing engaged in combat with a couple of common thugs, nothing too serious. You were just about to jump in to help when a glimmer in the corner of your eye caught your attention. You turned just enough to see a third man hidden in the shadow of a shipping crate. In his hands was a gun, aimed straight at Dick. Everything went south from there. 

A single thought came to your mind, crystal clear. _‘Please not Dick. Please not my soulmate,’_  
You shouted, grabbing everyone’s attention, and lunged towards the gunman. Startled, he turned to aim at you instead and fired a hasty shot. Pain flared through your shoulder like fire. You screamed, dropping to the asphalt on your knees. The world was spinning around you, the ringing in your ears making you want to throw up. 

Time passed, and then Dick was kneeling beside you, pulling you into his arms and pressing down on the wound. When you managed to focus on his face, you noticed with distant concern that his eyes were wet. You reached up weakly to touch his face. “Dick..” He hushed you, standing up with you still clutched against his chest. “I’ve got you. You’ll be okay, I promise. I love you,” His voice was thick with tears. Then everything faded to black. 

  


When you woke up you were lying in you and Jason’s bed back at the manor. You had never been there without him, and somehow that felt more wrong than the awful pain radiating from your shoulder. Dick was sitting in a chair that he must have pulled up next to the bed. He smiled when he saw that you were awake.

 “Hey there,” He squeezed your hand. Warmth spread through you, calming and soothing. “Dick,” you smiled weakly. And then, “Where’s Jay?” Dick’s expression became clouded, his eyes dark and unfathomable. Fear clutched your chest like a vice. “Jason is.. he’s gone.” Dick hesitated, and in the pause between his words you could feel your heart shattering. “He thought it would be best to give you some space. Said he didn’t want you sacrificing yourself for him,” 

“He.. left?” Your voice sounded distant to your own ears. “Yeah,” Dick’s voice was soft. “I tried to stop him, I promise,” You met his eyes then, saw the fear there, the vulnerability. You squeezed his fingers tightly in yours. “Thank you Dick,”  


~~~~~

It took time, but things got easier. You stopped going out on patrol with Batman, you knew that he needed Robin more than you. And that was fine, you understood. You refused to take Jason’s purpose from him too, refused to take his home. You ended up staying with Barbara for awhile, going out on patrol with Nightwing instead. 

The months passed, and somehow you managed to move on. Jason’s absence was like a hole in your heart every single day, but eventually you learned to work around it. You learned to smile, to laugh, to breath around the tightness in your chest whenever you thought of him. And finally, you allowed yourself the one thing you had been trying so hard to deny since the day you woke up and saw your soulmark on your wrist. You allowed yourself to fall in love with Dick.

 It was easy; easy as breathing had ever been, and much easier than it was since Jason had left. You just clicked, fitting together seamlessly just like you and Jason had all those years ago. But this was different; new and fresh and exciting. Dick brought an optimism to your relationship that you’d been missing before. Jason had been security, Dick was adventure. 

And then one night, you woke up suddenly with a sharp pain in your chest. Dread clutched at your heart, a hollow emptiness consuming your very being. You must have screamed, because then Dick was there, having crashed on the couch after patrol. The next thing you knew you were wrapped in his arms, sobbing into his chest. It was hours before you calmed down enough to look at your wrist. There, underneath Dick’s name, were the words **“Jason Todd”** written in bold print.. The ink was red. 

~~~~~

  


Several years passed. The pain never went away entirely, but it did fade. When you thought of Jason now, it was with fond nostalgia. There was sadness there, but it was manageable. You and Dick had built a new life together in Bludhaven, and you were happy. There was a picture of you and Jason on your mantelpiece in the living room. It had been taken just before your first Wayne Enterprises Gala by Alfred. Jason was glowering at the camera, uncomfortable in his new suit, but you were laughing and pinching his arm playfully. You often brushed your fingers over it when you passed by, smiling at the memory. Once Dick walked in just in time to catch you looking at it. He’d come up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist, had kissed your temple. “He’d be proud of you you know,” he’d murmured into your hair. You whispered back, “I know,”

You were in Gotham visiting Bruce when it happened. The three of you were sitting down to dinner, deep in debate over an ongoing case involving the Riddler when you felt a tingling sensation on your wrist. You frowned, rubbing absently at the skin and glancing down. What you saw made you gasp. Jason’s name had faded to a deep black. Jason was alive. It was impossible, you tried to convince yourself. But you knew that it was true. 

You encountered the Red Hood a couple of months later. The Riddler case had reached it’s peak, and you and Dick had been called back to Gotham to help get a handle on the situation. As soon as you laid eyes on him you knew that it was Jason. You froze, suspended on the ledge of the rooftop you had just been about to catapult off of. Dick paused behind you. “What is it?” He laid a hand on your shoulder. You turned to look up at him with wide eyes. “It’s Jason,” Dick didn’t even hesitate. “Go,” he encouraged firmly, giving you a gentle nudge. 

You were swinging across the gap between the buildings in an instant, sprinting across the rooftops to your best friend. When you reached him you didn’t even stop. “Jay!” you called out, frantic, hurling yourself at him full force. You impacted hard, sending both of you rolling across the concrete roof of the apartment building. Jason swore under his breath, instinctively wrapping his arms around you and breaking the fall. “Songbird?” His voice was deeper, but you recognized it as his. He took off the helmet, revealing a red domino mask and a shock of familiar dark hair. 

 “You asshole!” you yelled, thumping him in the chest. Jason didn’t retaliate, just sat there, seemingly stunned. You didn’t even realize that you were crying until angry tears made your vision blurry enough that you couldn’t see straight. You hiccuped, giving him another feeble thump for good measure. “I missed you you jerk,” “I’m sorry doll,” His voice was rough. And that was all it took. Instantly, he was forgiven. 

You stumbled to your feet, extending a hand out towards him. “Come on,” He raised an eyebrow, giving you a wary look. “Where are we going?” “Home,” you replied firmly. “You have a lot of explaining to do,” It took another few seconds, but then Jason complied, reaching out to grasp your hand. 

~~~~~

  


It was Christmas morning. You were standing in the living room of your small apartment in Bludhaven with Jason, straightening out a crease in the collar of his shirt. He always grumbled when you tried to groom him like that, but he always let you anyway. You knew he appreciated it, especially when you were about to come face to face with Alfred later that morning. 

“Ta-da!” You glanced over to where Dick had appeared in the doorway, wearing a fuzzy Christmas jumper complete with a robin and flashing LED lights. You giggled, and you heard Jason snicker under his breath beside you. Dick pouted, crossing his arms childishly. “It’s wonderful love. Very handsome,” you reassured, grinning at him. “Manly,” Jason agreed, nodding. 

You thumped him playfully, frowning up at him. “At least Dick is wearing his. I’m hurt Jaybird. It took me ages to find those.“ Jason made a face. “I’m not wearing a Rudolf jumper in front of the Demon Spawn,” You sighed in mock defeat. “That’s okay.. I guess Dick is the only one who loves me,” 

Dick cheered, smirking. “Plus one point to Nightwing,” You ignored him, giving Jason your best puppy dog eyes. “But his only has a bird on it!” Jason whinged, throwing the other man a contemptuous glare. “First come first served,” Dick’s tone was smug. 

You gave up, rolling your eyes at the both of them. “You two are impossible. Why do I even put up with you?” “Because you love us,” Jason’s voice was soft. Dick walked over to you, wrapping an arm around your waist and squeezing gently.  “Yeah, I do,” you admitted, taking Jason’s hand in yours and smiling up at both of your soulmates. 

  


You arrived at the manor half an hour late and were scolded by Alfred. You knew he was delighted to see you nonetheless. Jason ended up wearing the jumper, much to Dick’s glee. Damian did mock him, but shut up when you threatened him with the concept of getting one of his own. You had given Tim a penguin one last week, which he was quite content to wear today. At least it didn’t have flashing lights like Dick’s. Despite the bickering, everyone was happy to be there. And when you sat down to Christmas dinner between Dick and Jason, you knew that as unconventional as it was, this was your family. And at last, home didn’t seem like such a foreign concept.


End file.
